


Consultant

by Morgyn Leri (morgynleri)



Series: One Night In Moscow [10]
Category: Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Don’t copy to another site, GFY, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2020-02-04
Packaged: 2021-02-26 10:49:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22562584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morgynleri/pseuds/Morgyn%20Leri
Summary: When Nick Fury tries to recruit Tony as a consultant for SHIELD after the events of Iron Man 2, it doesn't quite go as he's planning.
Relationships: Tony Stark/Pepper Potts/Ivan Vanko
Series: One Night In Moscow [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/6753
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20





	Consultant

"I don't think I want you looking at that. I'm not sure it pertains to you anymore." Nick Fury leans back in his chair as he pulls the file on the Avengers Initiative away from Tony. "Now this, on the other hand." He holds up the other file folder that had been on his desk. "This is Agent Romanov's assessment of you. Read it."

Tony takes the file, flipping it open. He hopes this isn't going to take too much longer, because he doesn't like leaving Ivan alone in the house. Even if Ivan hasn't set anything on fire, blown anything up, subverted JARVIS, or attempted to kill him in the last month.

"Uh... Personality overview, Mr. Stark displays compulsive behavior."

He really shouldn't argue that, and Ivan would be smirking if he heard that, because, well, it's true, and probably his entire getting into this... whatever it is with Pepper and Ivan was. Ok. Compulsive. Very.

"In my own defense, that was last month."

"Prone to self-destructive tendencies... I was dying." Until he synthesized the element now powering his arc reactor, at least. Which might have influenced his behavior, to be honest. And whether the thing with Ivan is self-destructive or not, well, he's not entirely certain yet himself. "I mean, please. And aren't we all?"

He looks down at the file, and frowns at the next bit. "Textbook... narcissism?"

Ok, he's not sure where that came from. Well, maybe. His public persona is confident to the point most people would call it arrogance, a showman who is as shallow as his critics expect, and makes light of how much he cares.

But if this is supposed to be accurate to him, Romanov isn't as observant as she thinks she is. And that hurts unexpectedly. Even if it's probably for the best, if it means she also hasn't noticed the existence of Ivan. Best not to give them a reason to dig deeper, then.

"Agreed." He skims further. "Ok, here is it. Recruitment assessment for the Avenger Initiative. Iron Man, yes." He flips it around to tap at the note while meeting Fury's gaze. "I'll have to think about it."

"Read on." Fury doesn't look happy, and Tony holds back a sigh.

"Tony Stark not... not recommended? That doesn't make any sense. How can you approve me, but not approve me?"

It might be better in the long run, let him get everything stable before he tries to play well with whoever it is that Fury tries to bring into his little super-secret boyband. Still, he can't help but try to talk Fury around, the little niggle of hurt growing.

"I got a new ticker. I'm. I'm trying to do right, uh, by, uh, Pepper." It's so hard not to mention Ivan, when Ivan is so important to what makes the whole thing work. "I'm in, uh, a stable... ish... relationship."

He tracks Fury as he walks around the table to sit on it in front of Tony.

"Which leads us to believe that at this juncture, we'd only like to use you as a consultant."

Ok. Well. That was not expected. Tony takes a breath, reaching out to clasp Fury's hand a moment, patting it with his free one. "You can't afford me."

He smiles sharply before turning around, and walking out of the dingy little warehouse that Fury had wanted to meet him in. If SHIELD doesn't want him, fine. He has other things to do. And Pepper and Ivan waiting for him at home.

**Author's Note:**

> The dialogue is pretty much lifted straight from the movie. The main divergence of this is the internal monologue of Tony, and how things end. This is going to be important to me figuring out how to take this AU forward into the Avengers movie and how Ivan's presence and Tony not consulting with SHIELD lets me rewrite how everything leading up to the Battle of New York and its aftermath happens. Because sledgehammer approach to canon is in full effect in this AU.


End file.
